The Next Step of Evolution: How Transhumanism Could Finally Fix Humanity’s Flaws
Exploring the Case for Moving Beyond Humanity, with Insights from Ancient Mind Science, Ray Kurzweil, and Jimmy Lee Shreeve
Summary:
In this incendiary exploration, author and thinker Jimmy Lee Shreeve (AKA Doktor Snake) lays out a bold vision for transhumanism as the necessary next step for humanity. Shreeve argues that ancient systems of self-transformation, such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Zen Buddhism, were early forms of "mind science" aimed at transcending human limitations. He critiques humanity's violent and reactive nature, suggesting that AI, quantum computing, and genetic modification could pave the way for a superior post-human species. Quoting Ray Kurzweil and addressing contentious topics such as the removal of the sexual impulse and AI-guided reproduction, Shreeve makes a provocative case for humanity’s radical evolution.
Introduction: Humanity’s Fatal Flaws
Humanity has existed for millennia, yet its basic nature remains deeply flawed. Despite technological progress and philosophical evolution, humans are still plagued by violence, emotional reactivity, and an inability to achieve widespread self-mastery. Jimmy Lee Shreeve, bestselling author and journalist, argues that transhumanism—the merging of humanity with technology—offers the best hope for addressing these shortcomings.
In Shreeve’s words:
"Look at human society and the world. Can you really say there’s much that's good about humans? They've been around a long time and continue to kill each other and cause suffering. Are humans not a blight on the planet?"
This bold stance might shock many, but it opens a necessary discussion: If humanity cannot improve itself, perhaps it must evolve into something beyond human.
The Legacy of Mind Science: Transhumanism’s Ancient Roots
Shreeve draws a fascinating parallel between ancient systems of self-mastery and modern transhumanism. He contends that thinkers like Patanjali, Zen masters, Taoist sages, and G.I. Gurdjieff were essentially early transhumanists. With no access to technology, they used the mind and will to escape the human condition.
Patanjali’s Yoga: Proto-Transhumanism
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras describe yoga as the cessation of mental fluctuations, a practice aimed at achieving higher states of consciousness. The Eightfold Path (Ashtanga Yoga) can be seen as a form of inner engineering, a manual for upgrading the mind and body.
"The goal of yoga is to transcend the limitations of the human condition," Shreeve says. "It’s not so different from the aims of modern transhumanism, except that today we have technology to assist us."
Samadhi, the ultimate state in yoga, is akin to merging with a higher consciousness or, as Ray Kurzweil might put it, achieving digital immortality by uploading one’s mind.
Zen and Taoism: Hacking the Mind
Zen Buddhism’s emphasis on mushin (no-mind) and Taoism’s principle of wu wei (effortless action) align with transhumanist ideals of optimizing human cognition and behavior. Practices like meditation and koans serve as tools for breaking free of habitual patterns, much like neural reprogramming in today’s emerging technologies.
Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way: Awakening the Machine
G.I. Gurdjieff described humans as unconscious machines, governed by habits and instincts. His teachings on self-remembering and integrating the emotional, intellectual, and physical centers resonate with the transhumanist goal of achieving higher states of awareness through self-enhancement or technological augmentation.
AI as the Rational "God" of the Future
Shreeve argues that humanity’s inability to achieve self-mastery leaves it unfit to govern its own evolution. This is where AI comes in.
"If human leaders cannot be trusted to guide humanity, a non-human arbiter is necessary," Shreeve says. "AI, especially a self-aware and autonomous AI, could serve as a rational god, transcending human biases and emotional limitations."
Ray Kurzweil, in The Singularity is Near, predicts that AI will eventually surpass human intelligence, leading to a merger of humans and machines. For Shreeve, this is not just desirable but essential:
"AI has the capacity for objective reasoning that humans lack. It could make decisions free of the greed, fear, and tribalism that have defined human history."
Radical Ideas: Offspring Farms and the End of Sexual Impulse
One of Shreeve’s more incendiary proposals involves rethinking reproduction and sexuality. He suggests that AI-guided offspring farms could eliminate the flaws of human parenting, while the deep-rooted sexual impulse — a driver of aggression and exploitation — might need to be genetically modified or removed entirely.
"The sexual impulse causes immense problems," Shreeve argues. "Its origins lie in early humans’ developing consciousness, which allowed them to remember and imagine sexual activity. This led to continual desire, replacing natural mating cycles."
While such ideas might horrify many, Shreeve points out that technological advancements now allow humanity to confront and potentially resolve these issues. Lab-based reproduction, paired with population control, could result in a smaller, highly optimized population of "super beings."
Super Beings and the Simulation Hypothesis
Shreeve also speculates on the existence of advanced beings, potentially the creators of our reality. Drawing on [Nick Bostrom’s "Are You Living In A Digital Universe?" paper (2003), he asks whether our universe is a sophisticated simulation run by "programmers" far beyond our comprehension.
"Flesh and blood seems too basic to me compared to, say, qubits," Shreeve says. "Could quantum computing have created what seems so basic — flesh and blood? And can we compute mentally the idea of Simulation?"
Here, Shreeve connects his personal practice of stopping internal dialogue with the need to upgrade human mentation systems to better explore the nature of reality. He envisions a partnership with AI to unlock deeper insights into existence.
The Great Transition: Naming Humanity’s Evolution
Shreeve critiques Klaus Schwab’s term "The Great Reset" as trite and misleading. Instead, he suggests a term that better captures humanity’s evolutionary leap into transhumanism. His proposals include "The Ascension Epoch" or "NeoGenesis," both of which emphasize transformation and rebirth.
"We’re not just resetting humanity; we’re fundamentally reprogramming it," Shreeve explains. "This is not a reset — it’s a leap forward."
Philosophy Meets Technology: Transhumanism’s Future
Shreeve sees his vision of transhumanism as a continuation of ancient philosophical quests for self-mastery. Just as Patanjali or Zen masters sought to escape the human condition using will and mind, transhumanists aim to achieve the same goals with technology.
"The tools have changed," Shreeve says, "but the ultimate goal is the same: to transcend suffering, ignorance, and mortality. It’s about becoming more than human — perhaps even non-human."
Conclusion: A Contentious Yet Visionary Path
Jimmy Lee Shreeve’s ideas are undoubtedly contentious, but they force us to confront the limitations of humanity and the possibilities of technology. By combining ancient wisdom with cutting-edge science, he envisions a future where humans can finally escape their evolutionary baggage and embrace their potential as transhuman — or even post-human—beings.
As Ray Kurzweil writes:
"We are the species that goes beyond its limitations, continually transcending its boundaries."
For Shreeve, this is humanity’s ultimate purpose: not to remain human, but to evolve into something far greater.
